Correspondence
Email sent to the contact address for Zhoushan Ning Tai Ocean Fishery Co. Ltd.
The email said The Outlaw Ocean Project's investigation has found that since 2017, squid fishing vessels owned by Zhoushan Ning Tai Ocean Fishery Co. Ltd. have engaged in unregulated fishing activity, unauthorized transhipment, shark finning and hunting seals. Crew on two of the vessels complained of abusive treatment, and the dead body of a crew member of another vessel was disembarked at a South American port after he suffered beriberi-like symptoms. The email asked for comment.
Zhoushan Ning Tai sent a statement by email, saying that it is a professional fishing company and has had no illegal, unreported, or unregulated fishing bad records in any fishery organization. The company also asked for additional information on the Zhoushan Ning Tai vessels concerned in The Outlaw Ocean Project’s reporting. The statement added: “Zhoushan Ningtai Ocean Fishing Co, Ltd. always under good management, operate in legal and reasonable compliance with the fishing and transhipment. We protect the marine environment and marine protected organisms, protect marine ecology and cherish fishery resources. At the same time,we care about the crews, try to create a "safe, equal and caring" working environment and protect the interests of the seafarers. I hope you can learn the truth and stop the groundless accusations against our company.” The company also enclosed photographs of returned foreign crew from some of its vessels being welcomed by the company.